POWERGRAMS

3 It's been a busy season for members of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO), who are rolling up their sleeves to improve life for people in their communities. APSO State Board members hosted a supply drive at Corporate Headquarters to support the Alabama Wildlife Center, dedicated to protecting, preserving and conserving Alabama's native bird species through rehabilitation and education. Employees donated flat bed sheets, pillowcases and newspapers for the center. Eastern Division Chapter members hosted "Future Earth Keepers" cleanup events at schools in four counties, guiding small teams of students in a friendly competition to collect the most trash. Schools included the Weaver Elementary seventh grade class in Calhoun County, students at Gaylesville School in Cherokee County, sixth graders at Cleburne County Middle School and fifth graders at Hokes Bluff Elementary School in Etowah County. E.C. Gaston Chapter members set up a scrap metal bin at the plant, where employees donated items to United Scrap Metal Buyers and Recyclers to support recycling and sustainability efforts. Mobile Division Chapter volunteers assisted in several community improvement projects. They refreshed gardens at the William F. Green State Veterans Home in Bay Minette, brightening the space for visitors and patients. Volunteers also helped improve Atmore during the city's spring cleanup, joined APSO Plant Barry Chapter members for a campus cleanup at Holloway Elementary School in Mobile, and partnered with Rebuilding Together South Alabama to refresh a playground in McIntosh. They also hosted a cleanup project at Wilmer Hall Children's Home. Southeast-Farley Chapter volunteers helped beautify Dothan Area Botanical Gardens. They also assisted teachers and guided students at the Houston County 4-H Groundwater Festival at Wallace Community College in Dothan, helping students understand people's relationship with and dependence on water, and how to protect this vital resource. They also supported two Barbour County Extension Office learning projects, Third Grade Agriculture Day at Eufaula Elementary School and Sixth Grade Lake Day at Old Creektown Park, helping guide classes, monitor safety and assist with lunch and snack setup. Southern Division Chapter members worked at Elmore County's Spring Cleanup Weekend, reducing litter on roadsides in Tallassee. They also assisted in the communitywide Billingsley Park Cleanup, where Alabama Power provided breakfast for volunteers. Western Division Chapter members held "Bee A Helper" activities at schools across 14 counties, serving about 30 elementary students per school. Each student received two gardening tools, a seed packet, a biodegradable plant container, a reusable bag to decorate and a "Bee A Helper" information card. Volunteers guided students through hands-on planting, which included decorating a pot and planting a seed to take home. As the plant grows, students can place the biodegradable pot in the ground, where it naturally breaks down and continues to grow while supporting bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Members also partnered with Alabama Power Environmental Affairs to beautify the courtyard of the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center for resident veterans for relaxation and for hosting visitors. Volunteers planted flowers, removed weeds and added new mulch. Several APSO chapter members worked in Renew Our Rivers (ROR) cleanups. Eastern Division APSO volunteers worked in the annual Logan Martin Lake cleanup, and Gaston APSO members picked up litter at Beeswax Park in Columbiana, on the banks of the Coosa River, and during the ROR cleanup at Lay Lake. By Isabel Rothschadl Company volunteers clean and beautify communities across the state Western Division Chapter and Environmental Affairs spruced up the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center. (photos contributed) Brandon Coates of Civil Field Services, Logan Martin Dam, and son, Finn, worked in Renew Our Rivers. Johnson Elementary School students enjoyed Western APSO's 'Bee a Helper' program.

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